Offset line post attachment clip



Oct 29, 1963 J. s. CASE 3,103,787

OFFSET LINE POST ATTACl-MENT CLIP Filed Feb. 15, 1962 INVENTOR John 5.Case ATTORNEY United States Patent M 3,108,787 OFFSET LINE POSTATTAfiHMENT CLIP .lchn S. Case, Towson, Md, assignor to Anchor PostProducts, Inc, Baltimore, Md a corporation of New Jersey Filed Feb. 15,1962., Ser. No. 173,412 Claims. (Ci. 25d69) This invent-ion relates tofences, and more particularly to fence structures utilizing metallicstructural elements.

With the growing popularity of all metal fences, it has become a problemto neatly and securely attach the rails to the usual I-beamcross-section driven posts. This cross-sectional shape generally hastapered surfaces and, in some cases, crowned faces so that no fiatsurface is available for bolt holes and consequently distortion occursin some area when a tight assembly is attempted.

The principal object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a clipfor securing the rail of such fences to a post.

Another object of this invention is to provide a clip of such shape asto act as an interface spacer as well as to securely grip the tapered orcrowned fiange webs of a post.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an offset line postattachment clip which provides for unlimited vertical and horizontaladjustment for rail placement in a fence.

The invention will be fully apprehended from the fol lowing detaileddescription of preferred embodiments thereof taken in connection withthe appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical elevation of a section of metallic fence structureincluding a line post and incorporating the features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged detail of a junction between a line postand a rail as viewed from the front thereof;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-section of the junction taken on line 33 ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an end view vertical section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective of a clip element; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-section of an alternate embodiment of a junctionbetween a rail and post.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a length of fence 10 is shown comprising a linepost 12, rails 14, and pickets r16. The rails 14 are secured to the post12 at junctions 18.

As best shown in the enlarged views of FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the line post12 is generally of I-shaped crosssection and has crowned decorativeflange webs 13 which make flat contact to the face of a rail 14impossible.

The rail :14 is provided on the entire length of face 15 with a slot 17which may include inwardly extending flanges 19 for added strength. Thepickets 16 are attached by screws 11 to the opposite face of the rail.

A clip 20 is mounted on a carriage bolt 21 retained in this slot 17 byits head. The clip 29, as best shown in FIG. 5, is of flat metal strapbent to a U-shape and includes a pair of registered holes 2 2 for thebolt 21 in the sides 23 and 24. The outer side 23 is slightly longerthan the inner side 24 and is bent sharply at a right angle to form ashort inwardly extending finger 25.

With a nut 26 loosely tightened on bolt 21 over the clip 29, the latteris slipped along the slot 19 until its outer and inner sides 23 and 24embrace the web 13 therebetween.

When nut 26 is tightened it will be noted that the inner side 24 of clip20 acts as a spacer to compensate for the curvature of web 13 While thefinger of the 31%,737 Patented Oct. 29, 1'9fi3 outer side #23 firmlyengages it and forces the rail 14 against the post 12. This isespecially elfective where the decorative crowning of web 13 includes anedge bead 27 which is customarily included to avoid sharp edges on thepost 12.

Where still greater strength is desired or where the post is of standardI-beam cross-section as indicated by reference numeral 28 in FIG. 6, apair of clips 20 are used one on each side of the web 29. Thus, despitethe tapered cross-section of the latter the clips 20 provide a neatsecure and fully adjustable junction of rail 14 to post 28.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a hollow first structural member having a slotextending lengthwise therein and a second structural member spaced fromsaid first structural member and having a web with an arcuate shape incontact engagement with said hollow first structural member and anoffset attachment device for securing said first structural member tosaid second structural member at various degrees of angularity, saiddevice consisting of a structural member having two spaced sides, one ofsaid sides being longer than the other and having a finger elementextending inwardly to said one side but spaced therefrom for forming anopening between the free end of said finger element and the free end ofsaid one side to receive the web of said second struc tural membertherebetween, and means positionable in the slot of said hollow firststructural member for securing said device to said first structuralmember and drawing said spaced free ends thereof together tofrict-ionally engage said web of said second structural member onopposite surfaces thereof.

2. In combination, a first structural member having a slot providedtherein, a second structural member spaced from said first structuralmember and having a web with an arcuate surface in engagement with saidfirst structural member, and an offset attachment device for securingsaid first structural member to said second structural member at variousdegrees of angularity, said device including a third structural memberhaving two spaced sides, one of said sides being longer than the otherand having an element extending inwardly to said one side but spacedtherefrom for forming an opening between the free end of said elementand free end of said one side to receive the web of said secondstructural member therebetween, and means positionable in the slot ofsaid first structural member for securing said device to said firststructural member and drawing said spaced free ends thereof together tofrictionally engage the web of said second structural member on oppositesurfaces thereof.

3. 'In combination, -a first structural member having a slot providedtherein, a second structural member spaced from said first structuralmember and having a web with an arcuate outer surface in engagement withsaid first structural member, and an offset attachment clip device forsecuring said first structural member to said second structural memberat various degrees of 'angu-larity, said device including a thirdstructural member of substantially U-shape having two substantiallyspaced sides, one of said sides being longer than the other and having afinger extending inwardly to said one side but spaced therefrom forreceiving the arcuate shaped web of said second structural memberbetween said spaced sides, and adjustable means positionable in the slotof said first strucaways? a total member for securing said device tosaid first structural member and forcing said spaced sides thereoftogether so as to engage the Web of said second structural member onopposite surfaces thereof.

4. In combination, a rail member having a slot provided therein, a postmember of I-shape cross section spaced from said rail member and havinga web with an arcuate outer surface in contact engagement with said railmember, and an offset attachment clip device for securing said railmember to said post member at various degrees of angularity, said deviceincluding a structural member having two substantially spaced sides, oneof said sides being longer than the other and having a finger extendinginwardly to said one side but spaced therefrom for receiving a web ofsaid post member between said spaced sides, and means positionable insaid slot of said rail member for securing said device to said railmember and drawing said spaced sides thereof together so as to engagethe web of said post member on opposite surfaces thereof.

'5. In combination, rail member of substantially rectangular crosssection having a slot extending lengthwise thereof and a post member of'I-shape cross section spaced from said rail member and having a Webwith an arcuate surface of said web in engagement with said rail memher,and an offset attachment clip device for securing rail member to saidpost member at various degrees of singularity, said device including astructural member having two substantially spaced sides, one of saidsides being longer than the other and having a finger extending inwardlyto said one side but spaced therefrom for receiving the Web of said postmember between said spaced sides, and means positionable in the slot ofsaid rail member for securing said device to said rail member anddrawing said spaced sides thereof together so as to engage the web ofsaid post member on opposite surfaces thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. IN COMBINATION, A HOLLOW FIRST STRUCTURAL MEMBER HAVING A SLOTEXTENDING LENGHTWISE THEREIN AND A SECOND STRUCTURAL MEMBER SPACED FROMSAID FIRST STRUCTURAL MEMBER AND HAVING A WEB WITH AN ARCUATE SHAPE INCONTACT ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID HOLLOW FIRST STRUCTURAL MEMBER AND ANOFFSET ATTACHMENT DEVICE FOR SECURING SAID FIRST STRUCTURAL MEMBER TOSAID SECOND STRUCTURAL MEMBER AT VARIOUS DEGREES OF ANGULARITY, SAIDDEVICE CONSISTING OF A STRUCTURAL MEMBER HAVING TWO SPACED SIDES, ONE OFSAID SIDES BEING LONGER THAN THE OTHER AND HAVING A FINGER ELEMENTEXTENDING INWARDLY TO SAID ONE SIDE BUT SPACED THEREFROM FOR FORMING ANOPENING BETWEEN THE FREE END OF SAID FINGER ELEMENT AND THE FREE END OFSAID ONE SIDE TO RECEIVE THE WEB OF SAID SECOND STRUCTURAL MEMBERTHEREBETWEEN, AND MEANS POSITIONABLE IN THE SLOT OF SAID HOLLOW FIRSTSTRUCTURAL MEMBER FOR SECURING SAID DEVICE TO SAID FIRST STRUCTURALMEMBER AND DRAWING SAID SPACED FREE ENDS THEREOF TOGETHER TOFRICTIONALLY ENGAGE SAID WEB OF SAID SECOND STRUCTURAL MEMBER ONOPPOSITE SURFACES THEREOF.